YOU should never judge a book by its cover - and the same goes for a restaurant on top of a hardware shop.

It doesn’t boast the most glamorous of settings, granted, but Ravenous in Settle never fails to disappoint thanks to the efforts of chef/owner Richard Wallbank.

A local lad, Richard has put together a lovely little menu that offers starters such as smoked haddock & watercress risotto or local sausages sliced over crushed new potatoes, red wine jus and crisp onions. The mains, meanwhile, vary from halibut fillet with potted shrimps to home-made ravioli and Moroccan-spiced shoulder of lamb.

It’s a menu that rarely changes but, to use another cliche, if it aint broke ...

Seating about 30, it’s a restaurant that’s nearly always full, so booking is advisable. May I also advise that you lock the toilet door properly - I failed to do this on my last visit, much to the horror of the chap who burst in on me!

When we visited we were lucky to grab the last table and shared a colourful platter of grilled halloumi cheese, sun blushed tomatoes, olives, stuffed bell peppers and proscuttio before tucking into a steak each - one rib eye and one sirloin.

The meat was cooked perfectly but I’ve often found it’s the accompanying dishes that give Ravenous the edge. Between us two, hungry diners, we enjoyed overflowing dishes of home-made chips, buttery new potatoes, mixed vegetables and a beautiful salad - all of which must score ten out of ten for effort.

If that wasn’t enough, while my other half’s beef was served with peppercorn sauce, I was treated to a stack of home-battered onion rings, mushrooms and grilled tomato. Delicious but surprisingly not overwhelming.

Had I not foolishly worn a pair of skinny jeans, the Baileys and Amaretto biscuit cheesecake would have been my choice of desert but, alas, there was no room so we settled for a mint and the very reasonable bill.

The service at Ravenous isn’t the fastest in town, but little touches while you wait - like complementary bread sticks (home-made) with humous - make up for that. It’s also time to sample one of the fairly extensive list of wines.

If you enjoy tasty, locally-sourced food without the gimics, I highly recommend this spot. All I ask if you do go, is that you nip into the shop below first, and get Richard a new lock for the loo.